


Of Mages and Wizards

by DocAgumon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Mahou Sensei Negima!
Genre: Gen, One Shot Collection, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2018-11-29 15:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11443962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocAgumon/pseuds/DocAgumon
Summary: Albus Dumbledore is having trouble finding qualified Defense professors (as usual), to the point where the only choice seems to be some quack writer... Or that would have been the case. It seems there's another choice this time around, and given the circumstances, Dumbledore is perfectly willing to overlook the whole age thing.A collection of one-shots within the same crossover universe, loosely following a proper storyline.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen a few Negima/HP crossovers, but none have really done it for me, so I made my own. It's not quite a story, but the one-shots would all be scenes of the same story if it were one. Sorry about any mistakes there might be, I have no Beta right now, but I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Also, i know the timelines don't really add up, but let's just pretend Negima happens a bit earlier and HP a bit later, for the sake of fanfiction.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, staring at the painfully thin stack of parchment on his fine wooden desk. Indeed, the only reason it qualified as a stack was because of the outrageous number of deeds and achievements it carefully listed and explained. He sighed and looked up at the portraits of the equally exasperated past headmasters.

  
_‘What am I going to do about this…?’_

  
The Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry found himself in similar situations every year, but it had never been quite as bad.

  
_‘Well, there was that time with the vampire, but at least Vlad knew his stuff.’_

  
The sound of the gargoyle granting someone way into his office pulled the wizard out of his thoughts. He prepared his bowl of lemon drops and adjusted the half-moon glasses sitting on his nose.

  
“Minerva, you are early.” Dumbledore addressed the severe-looking woman entering the room. “Please, do take a seat. How may I help you? I trust everything is in order for the new term?”

  
The witch scoffed at the Headmaster’s greeting as she sat down. “Don’t try to get away from this one Albus. There is only one thing missing from this year’s preparations, and you know very well what it is.”

 

_‘Ah, straight to the point as always, Minerva. What would this school do without you?’_

  
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Please, go easy on an old man. I’ve been looking for candidates to the best of my abilities, but you know that, after all this years, few people would be interested in the job.”

  
The Deputy Headmistress seemed unimpressed by his defense, but it’s not like she had been truly angry. “I see you still have that buffoon’s resume with you,” she pointed out, raising a single eyebrow.

  
“Yes, Minerva; I’m afraid I’ll have to give him the job after all, there is no one else to choose.”

  
“You must be joking. Weren’t you there for his interview? The man is a charlatan. He didn’t obtain a single N.E.W.T. as a student, and I doubt he could prepare a student to even O.W.L. level.”

  
The Headmaster could see the outrage in McGonagall’s eyes. “If you think it necessary, I could take care of the seventh years myself, I would enjoy teaching a few classes after all these years.”

  
This hardly pacified the Transfigurations Teacher. “And what of the rest of the students? Would you leave them unprepared? I know our Defense courses have been lackluster for the past few years, but this is ridiculous! Think of the fifth years, what will they do to get through their O.W.L.s?”

  
“I’m sure he’ll be able to follow the textbooks and guidelines, at least. The first and second year lessons shouldn’t be a problem either, even for one such as him. Besides, what would you have me do? I can hardly fill the position myself, I have my duties as Headmaster.”

  
“Yes you do.” The witch’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And it doesn’t seem like you are making them your top priority right now.”

  
_‘Ouch, Minerva, right through the heart, that one.’_

  
Indeed, a man like Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore had more responsibilities than most; perhaps more than any others. Juggling the school, the Wizengamot, and even the International Confederation of Wizards was not easy even for him. Not to mention other, less official duties. This wasn’t the first time he was reminded that maybe he should leave some of those burdens to the younger generation and focus on his role as Headmaster.

  
_‘But, if I did that, who would remain vigilant? Who would face the lingering forces of darkness, and prepare for their inevitable return?’_

  
“How about asking Mr. Lupin? I know you’ve brought him up before, and I’m sure he would make a wonderful educator,” said Minerva, interrupting his thoughts.

  
“You are probably right, but I was hoping to save that option for a better time, or perhaps a true emergency.”

 

It was clear his colleague disagreed with him. “We have no Defense teacher! What could possibly be a better time?”

  
“Well, Minerva, I was hoping he could meet young Harry a bit later, when he might be better prepared to hear more about his parents and the… details, of what happened to them. If possible, I’d like to have him here during Harry’s fifth year,” explained the Headmaster.

  
Once again, he failed to calm down the Transfigurations Professor, but there seemed to be a resignation to her voice. “Albus, I know you care for Mr. Potter’s education, I can even understand that you play favourites with him, despite my better judgement.” Dumbledore moved to offer some sort of rebuttal, but was silenced by the witch’s stern glare. “What I will not allow is you jeopardizing all other students’ education just so he may have your teacher of choice every year.”

  
_‘An educator through and through, my old friend. I believe that when I pass this old chair on to you, the school will be better off for it… Still, sacrifices need to be made. If I cannot find a good Defense teacher, let it be on second year; young Harry should be able to make up for it later.’_

  
The old wizard was about to give his final answer, but was stopped by an unusual sight. An eerily familiar twinkle… “That being said, I didn’t come here just to scold you…” In MINERVA’s eye.

  
_‘Oh my, and that day may come sooner than I expected.’_

  
“I actually might have an alternative solution.” A knowing smile formed on the witch’s face.

  
Albus Dumbledore was not easily surprised, but this was, at least, somewhat unexpected. Say what you will about his administration, but few people had the contacts he did. If he couldn’t find anyone more apt that Gilderoy Lockhart to take the role of Defense Professor, he certainly hadn’t thought his Deputy Headmistress would be any luckier.

 

“You have my attention, Minerva. Do tell, who is this mystery teacher?” asked the Headmaster, looking at her over his half-moon glasses.

  
“You see, I’ve been recently contacted by a dear cousin of mine. We don’t get to talk much nowadays, but we used to be like sisters back when we were young.” Somewhat smug at finally being one step ahead of the Headmaster, McGonagall indulged herself with a bit of exposition.

  
“Ah, but I seem to recall your father was an only child, wasn’t he? So, this cousin would be…”

  
“A Muggle, yes,” acknowledged the witch.

  
A small glint of amusement adorned his wizened old eyes. “Yes, this old mind hasn’t forgotten everything quite yet. Is this cousin the same one that moved to Japan, your little secret to the Statute of Secrecy?”

  
“Indeed. I’m surprised you remember,” said McGonagall. “The point is, she called me recently. Apparently, she has seen her daughter perform some rather… unnatural feats.”

  
“Ah, a new witch in the family, then? I suppose congratulations are in order.” That twinkle in his eye only grew at the revelation. “Will she be attending Mahoutokoro, or will we see her in Hogwarts in a few years?”

  
Once again, a subtle smile appeared on the witch’s face. “It seems your memory may fail you yet, Albus. My cousin is 56, by muggle standards, rather past the age of having small children.” Dumbledore raised a single eyebrow at this. “The girl is 18.”

  
As said earlier, Albus Dumbledore wasn’t so easily surprised, but truth be told, he was getting closer today than he had since that whole jellybean debacle.

  
“What are you saying, Minerva? She couldn’t possibly have hidden her magic for so long,” inquired Dumbledore.

  
“Strange, isn’t it? I thought so too, so, at my cousin’s request, I went for a small trip. I haven’t seen the girl in over a decade, after all, I really should have visited sooner.”

  
“Dear me, those vacations of yours. You are quite full of surprises today. If you keep it up, I just might need a calming draught.” The humor was clear in his voice, but it was also evident he would like to know the end to this story sooner rather than later.

  
“I’ll get to the point then. I met the girl, and we had a small chat. It would seem she knew nothing of magic until she was 15.” She held a hand up to stop Dumbledore’s question. “And she has never performed any accidental magic. For all purposes, she was a muggle.”

  
“Was?” asked, the Headmaster.

 

“Was. She told me she just had a… Very talented teacher.” And with that, she gave Dumbledore a look that said she expected him to understand everything.

  
No, Albus Dumbledore was not a man easily surprised, but there he was. A moment of shock that lasted an eternity; eyes wide, and no efforts spared in keeping his mouth closed. Albus Dumbledore was dumbfounded.

  
It wouldn’t last long, though. As his mind assimilated the information, a smile formed and his eyes twinkled like they hadn’t in years.

  
_‘Minerva, you wonderful witch. You’ll give me a heart attack yet.’_

  
“A mage!” exclaimed the old wizard. “Why, I must admit that is not what I had in mind. This is the kind of idea I would have expected from… Well, from myself.” He gathered himself as he leaned slightly toward the Professor. “And you think this mage will be able to fill the position? His kind are rarely well-versed in wizardry.”

  
McGonagall adjusted her glasses as she replied. “I had the foresight of meeting with him myself. Although he doesn’t have much experience with our magic, he seems to grasp the basics of wizardry. I’m confident that he will be able pass the Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. by the end of the month.” Dumbledore’s eyebrow rose at this. “He is, after all, a genius amongst genius by mage standards.”

  
Dumbledore looked quite staisfied by her reply. “I’ll trust your judgement in this, Minerva. If you think he’s that capable, I’m sure he is. Has he been teaching your niece for long? Did you ask him about any previous students? I’m sure the experience will do him good, even if handling a class is quite different from teaching a single pupil.”

  
“Luckily, it seems he has more experience than many of our latest Defense Professors. He’s been teaching my niece for the better part of four years, although, he only took her on as her apprentice a little under three years ago,” replied Minerva, earning an approving nod from the Headmaster. “Besides that, he also taught at Mahora Academy in Japan for a whole year. It seems it was part of some sort of graduation requirement.”

 

“Mahora, you say? I wonder if Konoemon is still the dean there, we haven’t talked in years.”

  
_‘Decades, actually.’_

  
“In any case, that’s quite the impressive resume. I would like to meet this mage teacher, of course, but from what you’re telling me, he’s as good as hired.” The old wizard was quite happy to concede.

  
“I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear that. The boy seemed quite enthusiastic about teaching here when I asked him.” The students might get some proper instruction this year, after all.

  
“Boy? Please Minerva, you’re hardly an old woman yourself, there’s no need to refer to the young man that way.”

  
A smirk tugged at the witch’s smirk as she replied. “Thank you, Albus, but regardless of my age, I think it’s quite accurate to call a fourteen-year-old a boy.”  
…

  
*Eye-twinkling intensifies*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today we'll be meeting our protagonists as they venture head first into the wizarding world!

 

It was a usual day for the inhabitants of Diagon Alley. Witches and wizards strolled up and down the bustling streets, sharing the latest news, buying all sorts of necessities, and indulging in some window shopping. Walking down the Alley, one could see not only proper shops for any and all wizarding needs, but also a multitude of stands selling a variety of snacks, second hand items, and all sorts of knick-knacks. One might say that the central hub of the British magical community was even busier than usual, but that was to be expected; the new term would be starting soon, and bright-eyed youngsters were ready to purchase the necessary materials.

 

Amongst all this hustle and bustle, it wasn’t hard for a somewhat unusual pair not to stand out, despite being new faces in a rather close-knit community. Staves might not be that common nowadays, but hey, some people are old-fashioned like that. And wow, that’s an impressive amount of purple hair, but that’s metamorphmagi for you.

 

“Hmm, this is a bit sweeter than I usually prefer… a bit bland, too,” said the long-haired newcomer as she examined her beverage. “I was expecting something a bit more interesting from these wizards.”

 

“Well, they can’t all be winners, can they? I’m sure you’ll find a weirder drink around here, we still have so much to see!” the staff-wielding boy said. “We have to get our wands first, though.”

 

“Yes, sensei. We’d better get that out of the way.”

 

“But aren’t you excited, Yue-san?” the taller figure turned to his companion. “Our first wands! This is a very important step in a wizard’s career.”

 

“Sensei, you’ve used a wand before. I’ve had several wands by now. This is hardly our first wand,” deadpanned the purple-haired girl (woman?) next to him.

 

“But this is a wizarding wand! I’ve been making due with my staff and our regular wands, but they are just not designed for this kind of delicate work.” Honest resolution could be seen in the young man’s eyes. “If I’m going to be teaching wizards, I need the best wand for the job. I barely passed that exam with my staff.”

 

“I’m pretty sure you just weren’t supposed to use your staff for that. Aunt Minerva did give you the wand shop’s address a month ago,” commented the girl as she sipped her pumpkin juice. “But I suppose this will be kind exciting, I’m not getting anywhere with my regular wand.”

 

“They do say Ollivander’s the best wandmaker in Britain… Are those owls? Is that an owl shop? Yue-san, should we get an owl?” the younger mage trailed off.

 

“You just said wands first, Sensei,” his apprentice pointed out. “We can get an owl later. One would think you’d be desensitized to these things by now.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m just excited about this. It’s a whole new magic culture, just like Mundus Magicus! Just… Smaller. And old-timey.” Man, it was hard for a young woman to argue with that smile.

 

“It does have its charm. It’s more whimsical than Mundus Magicus, despite there being no animal people.” And wasn’t that a bit disappointing for her? “More like living in a fairy tale, as opposed to a fantasy videogame.”

 

The two moved though the multitude, receiving an odd glance now and then, and occasionally stopping to see the latest magical trinket.

 

“Yue-san! Let’s buy a broom!”

 

“You fly on your staff, Sensei.”

 

“We can get one for you then!”

 

“I already have a broom.”

 

“But this one has little foot handles!”

 

Eventually, the odd pair arrived at a small and narrow shop. Although all of Diagon Alley seemed aged and somewhat unkempt to the two mages, Ollivander’s just looked old. A single wand sat on the window display, and a slightly dilapidated sign informed them of its two thousand year history.

 

“… Not very impressive for the best wandmakers in Britain, is it?” pointed out Yue.

 

“Well, maybe it’s different on the inside! Like Mast-ehrm, Eva-san’s resort.” The teacher tried to keep a positive outlook as they entered the establishment.

 

What greeted them was a room stacked to the ceiling with long, narrow boxes; not particularly dirty, but not especially clean, with a chair as its single piece of furniture.

 

“…Or maybe not.”

 

“I actually kind of like it. It reminds me of a library, in a way.” An appreciative glint appeared on the young woman’s eyes.

 

“Why thank you, young lady.” Both mages let out a small yelp as the kind voice spoke behind them. They turned around to see an old (though not ancient, such adjectives were better used in regard to certain deans) wizard with white hair and pale, silver eyes. His dark robes almost seemed to fade into the background of the shop. “How can I help you today?”

 

“Ah, that is… We would like to buy a wand. One for each of us, I mean,” the young man replied, somewhat embarrassed by his previous surprise.

 

“Hmm? And would this be your first wand, Mr….?”

 

“Oh! My apologies. My name is Negi Springfield, and this is Yue Ayase. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Ollivander.” Both newcomers gave a respectful bow, earning an odd look from the wandmaker. Negi seemed to realize and straightened up quickly, offering out his hand, which the old man quickly shook. “And yes, this would be our first wand, Sir.”

 

“Actually, we have used other wands before, but we believe they are not quite what we need,” Yue pointed out.

 

“Garrick Ollivander, the pleasure is mine. A case of mismatched wands? Some wandmakers don’t realize the importance of a proper fitting. I can proudly say that in all my years, no wand I’ve ever matched has given such problems.” Mr. Ollivander shook his head slightly. “I’m surprised to hear this from Japanese wands, they have some very good wandmakers, if a bit set in their ways… May I see your current wands, then?”

 

Both teenagers nodded, reaching into their bags.

 

“Actually, I usually prefer my staff. It still serves me well, but I’d prefer a wand for some of the more delicate work,” explained Negi as he looked through his unusually spacious bag.

 

“Indeed? Stafflore is not quite my specialty, but I would like to examine it too. It’s not often I get the opportunity…” The wandmaker trailed off as he reached for the wands being offered to him. He froze for a second, before taking them in his hand and raising them to eye-level. “These are not proper wands…” he immediately noted. “These are…”

 

Mr. Ollivander directed his gaze to his customers as if seeing them again for the first time. “How very curious…” A rather eerie smile showed on his face. “It is not often that I get mages looking for their first wands.”

 

“Ah-haha… You can tell?” Negi rubbed the back of his head abashedly.

 

“Young man, the day I can’t tell a mage’s wand from a wizard’s is the day I leave this business.” Both wands were quickly returned to their owners.

 

“So there’s really that much of a difference, then? Could you elaborate on it?” asked Yue, interest gleaming in her eyes.

 

Ollivander looked over Yue for a second, before letting out a good-natured huff. “What an inquisitive young woman. I think… I would like to find a wand for you, yes. Of course, I’ll answer your question meanwhile.”

 

Yue glanced at her sensei, who offered back a reassuring nod. She moved a step forward, eyes gleaming in anticipation. “How do I choose one?” She might have become used to magic in the past few years, but it was always exciting to learn something new about it.

 

“I suppose that’s where our little lesson starts,” replied Mr. Ollivander as he pulled out a measuring tape. He invited Yue to come forward with a small gesture, and started measuring her.

 

“You see, Ms. Ayase, it is not the witch or wizard that chooses the wand, but quite the opposite. As any wandmaker worth his salt will tell you, the wand chooses the wizard.” The old wizard moved to one of the smaller piles of boxes. “Which is your wand arm?”

 

“Left. Then, are wizarding wands alive? Are they sentient?” Yue questioned. As she looked curiously at the floating measuring tape.

 

“They are not alive, no.” Mr. Ollivander’s hand hovered over different boxes, his eyes one step ahead. “They do have a certain sentience, although not in the way you might think. A wand doesn’t think, but it will always recognize its true master. The bond between a wand and its owner is very special, it would be hard to compare it to anything else.”  His eyes finally stopped on a deep brown box; his hand reaching for it a second later. “Hmm, this might do.” He pulled out a plain but richly coloured wand from the box. “Beech, ten and a half inches, unicorn hair. Quite flexible.”

 

Yue stared at the wand intensely, as if trying to discover its secrets. It certainly didn’t look like one of her old wands at all. The old man offered it to her, and she took it with reverence.

 

As soon as the wand left his fingers, Mr. Ollivander made a motion as if to reach back for it, but stopped in the middle of it.

 

“What a curious reaction… Yes, as a mage, I had expected something… but I had never seen anything quite like this.” His pale eyes hovered on the wand.

 

“Is everything alright?” Asked the red-haired mage, a bit off-put by the wizard’s reaction.

 

“Yes, quite fine. An odd reaction, but not what we are looking for.” He took the wand from Yue’s hand. “Perhaps something a bit more…”

 

“Is there that big of a difference between reactions?” asked the young woman. “What are we looking for exactly? And what do the different woods do? And the unicorn hair?”

 

An amused smile lighted the old man’s face as he reached for a second box. “Well, much like wands, not two reactions are quite the same, but I assure you you’ll know what we are looking for as soon as we find it. I have a good feeling about this one, Walnut and phoenix feather, ten inches, springy.”

 

Yue didn’t hold the wand for long before Mr. Ollivander shook his head and took it away from her. He delved back into the shelves, going in deeper into the shop this time, but his voice was still audible. “Woods have a multitude of meanings, but they tell a lot about the user’s personality and the wand’s… temperament. When matched with a core, they also show where the wizard’s talents lie.” Another box. “Acacia, eleven and three-quarter inches, unicorn hair core, quite rigid. A wand with hidden potential, good for skilled and subtle hands.”

 

Both Negi and Yue appreciated the Wizard’s more detailed explanation, and he seemed to take pleasure in introducing them to his art. Unfortunately, this was not the right wand either.

 

“Close, but too rigid, almost unyielding… Not the wand for you.” The wandmaker looked at Yue (or perhaps _through_ her) before looking at a shelf to his right. He pulled out a deep blue, slightly shorter box. “I do believe this might be the one. Pine and unicorn hair, nine and a half inches. Nice and flexible. A wand for creative thinking and spellwork.” The wand was light brown, with spiral design running down its length, except for the somewhat darker handle. “I would like you to understand, Ms. Ayase, that a mage’s wand is just a tool, a focus to channel the magic you have gathered from the world. A wizard’s wand is much more than that…”

 

Yue took a sharp breath as the wand touched her fingers. Soft blue sparks glittered from the wand, and a small gale of wind seemed to rise around her. Mr. Ollivander was right. Even not knowing what they were looking for, she was sure they had found it.

 

“Good job Yue-san! I knew you could do it!” cheered her teacher from behind.

 

“I didn’t really do… anything.” She gazed at her new wand as Mr. Ollivander scribbled happily on a piece of parchment.

 

“…Yes, nine and half inches, unicorn hair.” He turned his pale eyes to his customers. “A fine wand, that one. Pine is a good wood for experimentation and creative spellwork. It always chooses an independent user, someone who doesn’t quite fit in… Although that’s a bit balanced out by the unicorn hair.” His smile became somewhat less unsettling in his excitement. “I can’t wait to see what a mage might come up with, using this wand. Ms. Ayase, I’m sure you’ll have a long and prosperous career in any case. Pine users are always long lived, did you know?”

 

Yue asked a few more questions that Mr. Ollivander was happy to answer, and promised to come back to learn a bit more about wandlore and the meaning of her own wand. Her sensei, too, was excited at the prospect.

 

“It’s so rare that I get to discuss wandlore with an interested public; I’ll be happy to have you in for tea later in the year. Now…” The wizard turned to the staff-wielding mage. “Mr. Springfield, isn’t it? I’ll be glad to find a partner for you too.”

 

Negi’s fitting was similar to Yue’s, with both Alder and Elder wands being discarded, and one case of Yew and dragon heartstring that seemed to unsettle the wandmaker. Eventually, a lighter wand with a silver handle was brought out of the shelf.

 

“Cherry and dragon heartstring, eleven inches. Just flexible enough. An unusual kind of wand here in England…” Negi picked it up with reverence, as he had the ones before. His face lit up as the wand flared with pink and purple sparks. A dark swirl seemed to form on his hand before fading into pink light.

 

“I-I think I see what you mean, Mr. Ollivander.” Negi turned to the wandmaker. “This feels nothing like a mage’s wand, it’s...a bit ominous.”

 

Mr. Ollivander’s lips seemed to twitch in good humor, but his gaze turned somewhat severe. “Ominous indeed, Mr. Springfield. Not two wizard’s relationships with their wands are the same, and of course first impressions are always different, but you must know your wand is a rare, and most certainly unsettling combination.” He took Negi’s wand and placed it back into its box before offering it back to the redhead. “Cherry always makes for powerful wands, but with a heartstring core, it becomes particularly lethal. This is a wand that requires exceptional self-control and strength of mind, Mr. Springfield. I trust that you possess these qualities, else the wand wouldn’t have chosen you, but you must not allow anyone else to wield it, nor should you do so while particularly agitated. It’s a loyal wand, but it must not be taken lightly.”

 

Negi’s hand hovered over his wand’s box for a second. He glanced at his student with a silent question, which was answered in the form of a nod and a reassuring (but very subtle) smile. Negi took his wand with a determined nod of his own.

 

“I won’t disappoint you, Mr. Ollivander.”

 

“I’m sure you won’t, Mr. Springfield.”

At that moment, the shop’s door opened to a couple in full wizarding robes and a young girl with glasses.

 

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Brewster. Ash, 12 inches and Mahogany, 10 and a half inches. Unicorn hair the both of them. I’ll be with you in a second.” The old wizard turned back to the two mages. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Ayase, Mr. Springfield. I’m always quite busy this time of the year, but I’d love to meet you again after the schoolyear has started. I’ll answer any questions you might have then. I do enjoy talking about my craft.”

 

“The pleasure is all ours, Mr. Ollivander. Thank you for everything,” replied Negi with a bow.

 

“Thank you for everything, Mr. Ollivander.” Yue mirrored her sensei’s bow.

 

“I’ll be awaiting your owl.” Mr. Ollivander accompanied them to the exit past the wizarding family. “I hope you find your time at Hogwarts fruitful. It’s always hard to find good teachers these days.”

 

Mr. Ollivander turned back to the three wizards in his store as the two mages left. “Now, let’s find the perfect wand for you, Ms. Brewster, I’m sure it’ll be a great one.”

 

* * *

 

“Sensei.”

 

“Yes, Yue?”

 

“Did you tell Mr. Ollivander you’d be teaching at Hogwarts?”

 

“Ah! No, I didn’t!”

 

“Then how did he…?”

 

Neither of them had an answer for that besides the fact that, be they wizards or mages, old people clearly had a certain need to unsettle the youth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait.

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way down to the Grand Hall for lunch after a particularly hard (for the boys, at least) first Transfigurations class. Harry was beginning to tune out Ron’s lamenting over his broken wand when a thought came to him.

“Hermione, did you see who our new Defence professor was at the sorting?” he asked, eyeing an empty spot on the High Table. He hadn’t thought much about it lately, but obviously Quirrel wouldn’t be available this year. Then again, from what he’d heard there was always a new Defence professor.

“Actually, he wasn’t there. A bit unprofessional, but I guess things come up even for wizards. His name is Negi Springfield.” The young witch let out a small sigh. “I haven’t found him in any books, I’m a bit disappointed. I thought…”

“Don’t tell me you were expecting that Lockhart guy too.” Ron piped in.

“He would have been a fantastic teacher!” exclaimed Hermione. “When I heard the rumours I gathered several books about him, and he is an incredible wizard. He has defeated all sorts of dark creatures; it seemed like a perfect fit.”

Harry hadn’t heard about any rumours, but he didn’t have the greatest social life during the summer… or ever, to be honest. “There were rumours?”

“My mum reads this dumb magazine, Witch Weekly, and they wrote an article earlier this summer about him wanting to teach here,” replied Ron. “Mum wouldn’t stop talking about it. I can’t believe you read that rubbish, ‘mione.” 

“I don’t, usually, but Lavender and Parvati insisted and owled me a few issues. It’s not great, but they seemed to know what they were talking about, so I decided to do some research,” explained Hermione with a faint blush. “I’ve never read anything about Professor Springfield, but I’m sure the Headmaster chose him for a reason. He said the professor used to teach in Japan, and yesterday his apprentice was filling in for him.”

“His apprentice?” That seemed odd. No other teachers had apprentices Did a lot of wizards have one?

“A younger witch, she looked like a sixth or seventh year, but she might be older. She said she would be assisting professor Negi; her name is Yue Ayase.”

Harry turned to his red-haired friend. “Is that common? Apprentices?” 

Ron gave a small shrug. “I don’t think so. It’s pretty old-fashioned. Some people get apprenticeships after Hogwarts for jobs, though. Maybe that’s it?”

“She might be training for a job under him, or maybe they do things differently in Japan,” proposed Hermione. “I am rather curious, though. I haven’t been able to read anything on Japanese witchcraft, but here must be so many differences. Professor Springfield sounds British, but perhaps he specializes in foreign magic and that’s why he taught in Japan. It must be why the Headmaster chose him over Lockhart.”

“Or maybe he’s just some bloke,” Ron cut her off. “My brothers say there hasn’t been a good Defence teacher in years. Bill got a vampire professor once.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ronald, there’s no way they would hire a vampire. Your brother was joking.”

The redhead made a face as he stabbed a pie with his fork. “Shows what you know. Everybody knows the position is cursed, so we get shite teachers. Just look at Quirrel!”

“Hmph! I guess we’ll see, then.”

Harry wasn’t sure what else he could add to the conversation. But Hermione had a point; whoever this teacher was, he couldn’t possibly be worse than Quirrell. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be a vampire either.

\---------------- 

“Sensei would like to apologize for his lateness. A meeting with the Headmaster is running late, but he hopes to be here before the class ends. Until then, you’ll be in my care,” announced the rather short witch. She really was young, perhaps a bit older than Hermione had said, but it was hard to tell due to her height and petite form. She had the longest purple hair and a calm, almost uninterested expression. She had a bit of an accent, but it was easy to understand her. “Today, we’ll be going over the study plan and covering any questions you may have, before reviewing some key points from last year’s contents.”

That was… Surprisingly normal. And competent. Not to be disrespectful, but in Hogwarts, it seemed like most of the teachers could use some help with organization. Only Professor McGonagall ran a tight ship like that.

The study plan wasn’t anything special, but it was well constructed. They would use their first two weeks to review last year’s contents and take an aptitude test. Once the classes started for real, they would move along the book’s contents mostly in order, with some exceptions. They also had certain classes designated as “Battle Practice” beginning two months down the line. Hermione raised her hand after the explanation.

“Yes? Miss… Granger?”

“Professor, what will these Battle Practice classes entail? We never had anything like it last year.” 

“Please, Ms. Ayase or Ayase-san will do. As for the particulars of Battle Practice, I can’t give you any details at the moment, but although Sensei has a great appreciation for the theoretical side of things, he is also a believer in learning by doing.” Her voice remained steady as she explained, but one might have seen her eyes light up a bit. “As a master of battle magic and an expert in fighting magical creatures, Sensei knows you won’t be putting your lessons into practice in a classroom once you leave the school. What use is even the most powerful of spells if you can’t cast it in a battle scenario?” Harry was surprised to see even Ron was paying attention. “These classes will teach you what can’t be learnt from books, which is, unfortunately, quite a bit.”

Hermione might have asked something in response to this explanation, but she was cut off by the sound of the class door swinging open. A somewhat short figure hurried through the side of the class to the professor’s stand.

“So sorry class, I didn’t mean to be late on your first day. I’m sure this seems terribly unprofessional, but I’m certain Yue-san took good care of you.” The figure turned around and bowed in a decidedly non-British fashion. “I apologize and hope we have no further issues this year.” He looked up at the students and offered a smile. “I’m Professor Springfield and I’ll be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

Silence reigned over the classroom as the students assimilated this information. Harry himself was looking over his new professor, not quite sure what to think.

Professor Springfield was… Young. Very young. Not even young for a professor, just young in general. He looked like a… third? maybe fourth year student. He was taller that Ms. Yue, but not exceedingly so, in fact, Ron might have been around the same height. His deep red hair was partially tied back into a small ponytail, and on his nose rested small, round glasses. He wore a loose beige robe of clearly different design from most wizards, and a very much not wizardly green suit underneath.

“You can’t be our professor, you’re just a kid!”

…Dammit Ron.

Luckily, Professor Springfield just offered a sheepish laugh as he straightened up. “Hahah. I suppose I AM quite a bit younger than most of your teachers. Don’t worry, Mr. Weasley. I am quite ahead in my studies for my age, and the Headmaster himself can vouch for my credentials. Right, Yue-san?”

The professor’s apprenticed nodded with a quiet intensity. “Sensei graduated at nine and began teaching magic when he was barely ten. He’s a prodigy tha-“

“Ah, that’s enough, Yue-san. They don’t need to know my life story…” The professor rubbed the back of his head as a faint blush spread through his face. Truth be told, Harry wouldn’t have minded his life story. New as he was to the magical world, a ten-year old professor was most certainly not common.

“Now then. Since Mr. Weasley’s fears have been assuaged, let’s continue the class.” Many of the students didn’t look all that convinced. “I see Yue-san has gotten you through the introduction ahead of schedule, good job.” His apprentice looked quite pleased at the compliment. “Now, before starting with the class proper, there are a few announcements I would have liked to have gone through yesterday.” The professor extended an arm and a wooden staff flew to his hand from a closet on the other side of the room. “First off, a question: ¿What can you tell me about magecraft?”

To nobody’s surprise, a single hand rose up in the classroom, while everybody else seemed equally stumped by the question. Harry himself had never heard of the term, but that was nothing new.

“Mrs. Granger?”

“Magecraft is a form of magic that manipulates the magic found in the environment, instead of one’s own magic. It’s an ancient art that has mostly fallen in disuse since the invention of the magic wand, and hasn’t been taught since the time of the Founders,” recited Hermione.

“Very good Mrs. Granger, five points for Gryffindor. That’s better than most would say. Still, that’s not all there is to magecraft.” Hermione seemed vaguely offended that her explanation failed to satisfy.

“Magecraft is a discipline that has evolved wholly separate from witchcraft. As Mrs. Granger explained, a witch or wizard channels the magic produced by their magical core into their wand to perform spells. This results in highly specialized and finely tuned spells, which require little power to perform. A mage has learned to channel the outside magic into their bodies, replenishing their magic without having to depend solely on their magical core, although a more powerful core usually results in a greater capacity for magic in general. As such, mage spells are usually more powerful and exhausting, lacking the more specific aspects of wizardry. A paralyzing jinx is a simple enough spell, but would require a high amount of control from a mage.” The professor paused and looked over Harry’s classmates. The second years weren’t very used to this kind of theory, and although Harry could follow the concepts, some students seemed perplexed by the explanation. “Now then, so far this is simply an extension on what Mrs. Granger explained and covers one half of what makes magecraft intrinsically different from wizardry. The second difference lies in the why of the first one. Why would mages harness the magic outside of themselves when using your own is so much easier?”

An uncomfortable silence spread among the students. Harry looked over at his friends. Ron’s cheek rested on his open palm, not really considering the question, while Hermione murmured to herself, biting her lower lip occasionally.

“Now, now, this is not a test, don’t look so worried. This isn’t something you should have learnt or anything like that. Don’t be afraid to guess.”

“To… perform more powerful spells? Having more available magic?” Hermione ventured.

The professor shared a look with his apprentice before answering. “Not a bad guess. Some wizards might study magecraft in search of more power, and it wasn’t that rare a case a few hundred years ago, but it’s not the original cause. The truth is much simpler. Think about it, who would look to use ambient magic instead of their own magic?”

Now, Harry was usually cautious about answering questions in class. Perhaps it could be traced back to the Dursleys not taking kindly to him outperforming Dudley in school, but the thought came to him almost obtrusively.

“Muggles.”

He was as surprised by his answering as the others were by the answer. Harry felt like the whole class was staring at him, and they probably were. Ron looked at him with an expression somewhere between disbelief and the face he made when he got unlucky with a Bertie Bott’s Bean, while Hermione was wide eyed as the realization dawned on her.

“Exactly. Ten points for Gryffindor, Mr. Potter.”

The classroom quickly devolved into quiet murmurs and not so quiet exclamations. Harry thought the whole class might descend into chaos, but the professor tapped the ground firmly with his staff and the students fell silent, despite their best efforts.

“I am very glad to have piqued your interest, but we do have a lesson ahead of us.” Professor Springfield’s smile didn’t appear any more strained than earlier. “I brought that up because I’ll be offering a seminar this Friday for anyone interested on the subject of magecraft. Not only that, but third to fifth years will be able to take an Magecraft as an elective. That’s not your case, but I still encourage you to come in on Friday and see if you would be interested on taking the class next year. I’ll be glad to answer any and all questions on the subject then.”

The professor allowed a few seconds of silence for the information to sink in.

“With all that out of the way, let’s go over some of the basic first year spells to take the rust off. Let’s begin with the pushing spell, I’m sure you’ll remember the wand movement is a simple spiral and…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that took forever. Sorry about that. My first idea for this fanfic (besides the simple "Negi teaches at Hogwarts" was actually the technical differences between magecraft and witchcraft, so I look forward to writing more about that on the seminar.  
> See you in a year? Six months? It's a mystery!


End file.
